Karabij Halab
It is a sweet especially from Aleppo, karabij halab is a semolina flour cookie filled with a crunchy nut mixture and flavored with rose and orange blossom water. This sweet treat is typically made with semolina flour dough, topped with a mixture of ground pistachios or walnuts, sugar, ghee, cinnamon, and fragrant water, pinched closed, and then baked until nicely colored.
Karabij halab, named after Halab – Aleppo’s ancient name, is typically shaped by hand, but it can also be molded in special, carved molds. The dessert is usually accompanied by natef – a type of white cream made from soapwort root – and is traditionally prepared on special occasions and holidays, such as Eid Al-Fitr.
Although these Syrian cookies can be made at home, they are more commonly bought in many pastry shops selling them throughout the country.
For the filling:
600 g Pistachio nuts
1 tin NESTLÉ Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 tablespoons Rose water
1 cup Ghee
For the Karabij:
1.5 cups Semolina
2.5 cups fine semolina
1 cup Ghee
3 cup Sugar
1 teaspoon ground mahlab
1 cup Water
1 teaspoon Baking powder
1 cup sugar syrup
Natif:
5 Egg whites
1.5 cups Sugar
1 teaspoon Rose water
1 teaspoon Blossom water
To prepare the filling:
– Combine the pistachio nuts, NESTLÉ Sweetened Condensed Milk, rose water and ghee making a hard dough.
To prepare the Karabij:
– Mix the semolina, fine semolina, ghee, sugar, mahlab and water to form dough.
– Keep the dough for 10 minutes, and then add the baking powder and sugar syrup.
– Make a small ball with the dough, press it with your finger, add a ball of the pistachio filling and roll it over. The dough should be very thin.
– Bake in a preheated 250 °C oven for 6 to 8 minutes, or until golden in color.
The Natif:
– Mix the egg whites and sugar and put on a double boil.
Keep stirring for 5 to 8 minutes or until all the sugar is completely melted, then remove from heat, whip using electrical beater until foaming and getting cold, then add the rose water and blossom water
Lara Khouli